


Bat Blood

by theragingstorm



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alfred is the best, Bittersweet, Coming Out, Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Menstruation, Trans Male Character, this is intended to be platonic but you could read it as romantic if you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 10:05:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12746127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theragingstorm/pseuds/theragingstorm
Summary: How being over at Wayne Manor when she ran out of tampons led Stephanie to make a discovery.





	Bat Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based off of the author’s experiences. Also, yes, the title is a pun of the worst sort.

Stephanie had just been granted access back to the Batcave, and by extension, Wayne Manor, when it came.

So at least she could frantically search through her utility belt in a fancy bathroom with a gilded mirror and an actual real-life bidet instead of the crumbling, third-rate facilities back at her own home.

“Shit. Shit, shit, _shit_ ,” she hissed, shaking hands upturning the containers of her belt, the contents tumbling across the pristine marble floor. “I don’t believe it — I didn’t pack _anything?_ ”

The purple fabric of her suit was _cotton_ ; it stained like a bitch, as opposed to the thick, blood-resistant body armor that the others got to wear. She thought enviously of Cassandra: _she_ probably never had to worry about if her suit would be ruined by her own lack of foresight.

Throwing her hands up in disgust before setting them on her hips, Steph regarded the roll of toilet paper.

Several long seconds passed.

She wasn’t that desperate yet...was she?

No. Even if this was a houseful of guys, lady superheroes and socialites and Bruce’s girlfriends were still over sometimes. Barbara had to have insisted at some point that they have some supplies, just in case.

Her hope renewed, Steph quickly threw her belongings back in her utility belt and bent down before the sink, throwing the cabinet there open.

She had expected a single box of tampons, maybe, if she was lucky. What she got was several huge bags of both daytime and overnight pads, large and regular-sized tampons, and even a box of panty liners, along with several bottles of ibuprofen and a stash of fancy European chocolate.

Stephanie was so in awe of this hidden treasure trove all she could do for a few seconds was stare.

“Thank you, Babs,” she whispered, before grabbing one of the large tampons. After a second of deliberation, she also grabbed some of everything else; placing the extras in her utility belt so as not to be caught off-guard again.

 

* * *

 

She’d kind of thought that the fancy chocolate would be bitter and nasty, but it was actually quite good.

A large bar in hand, potential crisis averted, she made her way out of the upstairs bathroom, then down to rejoin Alfred in the kitchen and hope Bruce wouldn’t come home yet —

Until she saw the situation in the living room.

She knew the former and current Robins as two of the most resilient people she’d ever met, despite the older one being a pretty-boy cop and the younger one being filthy rich.

(The resilience of the former and current Batgirls didn’t even need to be stated.)

But Tim, lying sprawled out on the couch, looked almost worse for wear than she’d ever seen him.

His long dark hair hung over his face, delicate features twisted up in misery. One arm was curled tightly around a pillow that he was hugging to his chest, the other pressing a hot pad to his abdomen with unnecessary force. He was in jeans and a t-shirt instead of his Robin suit, and he had no visible wounds, but he practically radiated pain.

Alfred seemed to materialize behind the couch he was lying on, a tea platter in hand.

“Has it started today, Master Timothy?” The old butler’s voice was surprisingly gentle.

Tim nodded.

“I shall fetch you some painkillers.” He set the platter down on the coffee table. “Until then, the hot tea and biscuits will make you feel better.”

Bending back up again, Alfred locked eyes with Stephanie. He nodded to her.

“Apologies, Miss Stephanie, but I will have to postpone lunch a bit.”

Tim started, his eyes growing wide as he realized she was there.

“Oh, it’s okay, Alf, I don’t mind hanging around the house like this.” She finished the last of the chocolate bar. “I’ll just keep Tim company while he’s...um...”

She looked at Tim for help, but instead of telling her what was wrong, he just turned his head away. A stab of confusion and annoyance went through her.

“Very well.” Regaining his poise, Alfred walked past her and into the never-ending tangle of the mansion, presumably to go find some painkillers.

Steph approached Tim. He was still twisted up away from her, the tea and cookies yet untouched.

“What’s the prob, Rob?” She gathered herself into a nearby armchair, propping her arms on her knees and nestling her booted feet on the cushion exactly the way Bruce always told her not to. “Are you hurt?”

His face buried in the pillow, he shook his head.

“‘M’okay, Steph.”

“You’re clearly not okay,” she insisted.

“Just some muscle pain. It’ll be over soon-ish.”

“Muscle pain? In your stomach?”

He looked at her.

“Yes.”

Steph leaned back, taking in the scene before her again. Just minutes earlier, she’d been in a similar degree of pain as her usual cramps had gripped her; the ibuprofen kicking in just before it could get worse. From what she was seeing, Tim had gone too long without saying anything, leaving time for whatever was bothering him to get to the level that it did. But what kind of sickness or injury could affect a boy the same way her cramps did...?

That was when Stephanie realized.

“Oh.” Her eyes grew wide. “ _Oh_. Tim, I didn’t know you were...”

His own eyes flew open, his misery briefly turning to panic.

“Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not what this is,” he said hurriedly.

“I was just...” She blinked a few times. “I was just thinking that you were trans.”

“Oh.” He settled back down. “I guess then that whatever you were thinking _was_ what this is.”

She would’ve laughed, except that he still looked upset, and now, scared.

“What is it?” Steph rested her chin on her arms. “Do you think I like you less ‘cause we both have vaginas?”

“I _know_ you think of me differently.”

She paused, her head now tilting to the side.

“Different isn’t less, Tim. You’ve made it pretty clear by now that you’re the _Boy_ Wonder, and I believe you; you’re a boy. I know you thought of me differently when you found out the scum of the earth is my father, how I’m a poor kid from the East End, and when I got knocked up by my jackass ex-boyfriend. Did _you_ think of _me_ any less?”

He sat up.

“No, of course not. You’re still you, Steph.”

“Bingo.” She pointed at him.

He blinked a few times, then the tiniest of smiles pulled at the corner of his mouth for a few seconds. Then he sighed.

“My parents don’t know I’m a boy.”

“They don’t —? Oh. I just thought Jackie was short for Jackson.”

“It’s short for Jacqueline. That’s what all the tabloids and newspapers and crap all still call me, too.”

She’d never been interested in rich-people gossip, although if she’d had been, she might’ve realized sooner. As it was, she winced in sympathy.

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

“S’okay.”

“It’s clearly not.”

“No, Bruce promised he’d help me medically transition after I turn eighteen. I’ll be fine.” Tim paused. Some of his misery had melted away, and that made her feel a bit better for him. It also made her feel a little warmer towards Bruce. “Also, this way, people are less likely to figure out I’m Robin. Like you said, they’re looking for me when they know I’m the  _Boy_ Wonder.”

“I’m not sure whether that’s supposed to make me really happy or really sad.”

They both chuckled a little.

“But speaking of which, what about you? Sounds like you needed my tampons, too.”

“Oh, you bet I did.” Steph gave him a small smile. “So...since I’m already here, wanna put our feet up and bitch together? Watch some TV? Marvel that our cycles synced up?”

Tim hesitated for a moment, then he smiled too.

“Sure.”

He moved over to the side of the couch, leaving room for her to jump up next to him, grabbing the blanket off the back and wrapping it around both of them. Both of them settled in with tea and a cookie, then she started fumbling around for the remote control.

“I take it Master Timothy is now, as they say, _out_ to you, Miss Stephanie?”

Both looked up.

Alfred had reappeared with more ibuprofen and another heating pad — did that man have telepathy? — along with the first two seasons of _Wendy The Werewolf Stalker_ on DVD.

“Also, Master Conner left these behind the last time he visited, so I assume this is what teenagers your age watch on television these days.”

“Alfred, you’re beautiful,” Steph gasped, taking the plethora of items from him.

“I know, Miss Stephanie.” The butler’s mustache twitched. “I hope that the two of you have an easy time for the next few days. In the meantime, I will return to preparing lunch.” He bustled away, transparently hiding his delight at their own.

The DVD player was quickly set up, and as the opening credits rolled, Steph leaned her head on Tim’s shoulder. He sighed quietly, wrapping an arm around her back, the two of them enjoying each other’s presence even through the pain and discomfort.

**Author's Note:**

> It’s on DVD, not being streamed, because Tim was Robin some years before the present day. Just to be clear.
> 
> Also, I imagine at that point Tim was already out to Bruce, Alfred, and Dick, and comes out to Barbara, Kon, Bart, and both Cassandras soon afterwards.


End file.
